Government confirms nicotine pouches safer than smoking

After pressure from 20 is plenty campaigners the UK government has officially acknowledged the fact nicotine pouches are safer than smoking. 

Both campaigners and the government hope nicotine pouches will become an increasingly common harm reduction tool. 

The 20 is plenty campaign involves a coalition of interest groups and retailers including Considerate Pouchers, We Vape, Ecigclick, The Snus and Nicotine Pouch Users Alliance, and Planet of the Vapes. Their aims have included instating a 20mg strength cap on nicotine pouches (the same as e-liquids) as well as stricter age verification and proportionate regulation. 

In a response letter the Department of Health and Social Care have agreed with 20 is Plenty, “As you[ 20 is plenty campaigners] rightly point out, nicotine pouches are likely to pose lower health risks than smoking, because they do not involve inhaling harmful substances produced by burning tobacco, such as tar and carbon monoxide.”

The department of health and social care also acknowledged the need to be careful about how they regulate pouches, agreeing that ill-thought out regulation could end up encouraging users to take up smoking instead. Due to this they are aiming to ensure public health policy on nicotine products is both “evidence based” and “proportionate”.

However, although the government agreed on the safety and the tighter regulation of nicotine pouches, they did not explicitly agree to the idea of instating a strength cap of 20mg.  

It has also been suggested that nicotine pouches will constitute their own separate category under the new 2026 vape tax coming in later this year. Pouches will be regulated separately to smoking and vaping, and as such should remain a cheaper alternative.